Tour #5: Plains Cemeteries
Kingsbury Street, West Walpole
The Walpole Historical Society is sponsoring walking tours of the town’s historic cemeteries. This year marks Walpole’s 300th anniversary, but it also marks the Society’s 125th anniversary, and to mark these special occasions, we are hosting several walking tours of our unique cemeteries. We are lucky enough to have nine historic cemeteries in town, and each one is special and holds Walpole’s unique history. Each tour will have a topic to highlight Walpole’s history. It is our hope that through these tours participants will learn more about Walpole’s early history and the people who contributed to the town’s growth.
Plains Cemeteries
Walking Tour
“Walpole in War – Sleeping Solders Tell Tales”
This is the second oldest cemetery in Walpole. A section is believed to have been set aside for a burial place as early as the 1720's. The first recorded burial is Deborah Smith, in 1731. In May of 1803, this cemetery was enlarged about 60 rods to meet growing demands. Then, in 1883, the estate of Jeremiah Hartshorn, sold to the town of Walpole more land, to expand the Plains Cemetery, thus bringing the Plains Cemetery to its present size. At the corner of West and Plain Streets, Isaac N. Lewis erected a circle of “memorial” stones to acknowledge American Revolutionary War soldiers. The soldiers were from the West Walpole neighborhood (which also included some men from Wrentham, now Norfolk). It should be noted that no one is buried in that section.
Here in this cemetery lie the remains of many West Walpole and Medfield men who served in wars that shaped our country. These soldiers fought in wars that stretch for over 400 years, from King Philip’s war in the 1670s to the Vietnam War of the 1960s & 70s, and almost every war in between. These soldiers left their villages to fight for the safety of their families and homes, some returned, and many did not. Today, we will talk about the history of various wars that affected Americans throughout these centuries and introduce you to some of the men who fought in them.
For more about the historical society:
Walpole Historical Society